‘Lincoln’ & ‘Theodore Roosevelt’ Miniseries Lead History Slate As A+E Networks Expands Relationship With Leonardo DiCaprio & Doris Kearns Goodwin

History is doubling down on Presidential programming with two new miniseries centered on Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

Lincoln (working title) and Theodore Roosevelt (working title) are both exec produced by Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, while Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way Productions company are involved in the latter.

Lincoln is a three-part series, featuring two-hour episodes, that will be a multi-layered biography of the 16th President. From Lincoln’s impoverished childhood to his days as a young prairie lawyer and budding politician, through his unlikely election to the presidency and eventual assassination, the miniseries will feature live action scripted sequences, expert interviews and a rich historical archive of rare photographs, prints, and original documents.

It is produced by Nutopia with Jane Root and Ben Goold serving as executive producers alongside Goodwin and Beth Laski for Pastimes Productions. Eli Lehrer, Mary E. Donahue and Jennifer Wagman are executive producers for History.

Theodore Roosevelt is a two-part series, featuring two-hour episodes, on Roosevelt, widely considered the first modern President of the United States. It will look at the 26th President’s personal story, his work as a progressive reformer as well as his contradictions such as being a passionate conservationist who also hunted; a friend and supporter of the common man, who also worked closely with Wall Street and robber barons and a scion of an elite family who yearned to be a cowboy. Similarly, it will incorporate live action scripted sequences with expert interviews and live action sequences.

The two-part is produced by RadicalMedia with Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick as exec produces alongside Goodwin and Laski for Pastimes. DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson serve as executive producers for Appian Way. Knute Walker serves as showrunner. Lehrer, Donahue and Wagman are executive producers for History.

DiCaprio and Appian Way are also behind a follow-up to The Men Who Built America. The Men Who Built America 2 (w/t) chronicles the rise of industrial heavy hitters Du Pont, Boeing, Chrysler, JP Morgan Jr., Hughes, and FDR and looks at how a new age of robber barons came out of the Great Depression to revolutionize automobiles and erected monuments and skyscrapers.

The three-part series, featuring two-hour episodes, is produced by Banijay’s Stephen David Entertainment. Stephen David, Tim Kelly and Joey Allen serve as executive producers for Stephen David Entertainment. DiCaprio and Davisson serve as executive producers for Appian Way. Phillip Watso serves as co-executive producer. Lehrer, Donahue and Zachary Behr are executive producers for History.

These commissions come on the back of its hit Washington miniseries, which aired in February, and six-hour miniseries Grant, which is exec produced by DiCaprio and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow, produced by RadicalMedia and Lionsgate and launching May 25.

“History is doubling down on its commitment to invest in premium historical programming that showcases the compelling stories of those who have shaped our nation,” said Lehrer, EVP and General Manager for History. “We are truly honored to grow our partnerships with present-day icons like President Clinton, Leo and Doris to utilize their unique insider perspectives to help bring these incredible stories to life.”

“Understanding our past provides a pathway for our future, which is why I’m so glad to be partnering again with History to tell the remarkable stories of some of our best past presidents,” Goodwin said. “To truly appreciate how Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt handled extreme national crises and overcame heart-wrenching personal adversities can reassure us that as trying as our situation is now today, our country and our people have endured and prevailed through other tremendously trying times.”

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